Doncaster Rovers: Gavin Strachan on the ‘biggest challenge’ facing himself and Darren Ferguson

Paul Goodwin

Assistant manager Gavin Strachan admits that turning the tide at Doncaster Rovers is the biggest challenge facing him and boss Darren Ferguson.

Rovers, who host Crawley Town tomorrow, have won just three times this calendar year.

But that loss of momentum goes back much further. Since winning promotion to the Championship in 2013, Rovers have won just 38 out of 140 league games (27%).

Deputising for Ferguson at yesterday’s press call, Strachan was asked whether the tag of being promotion favourites weighed heavy on the club.

He replied: “I think it can be an extra bit of pressure. But I think the biggest challenge we have is swinging that momentum and getting that feeling of winning games, and winning games regularly.

“We think the characters that we’ve brought into the squad are strong enough characters who can help to turn round that momentum.

“The players that we’ve brought in hopefully can help the already mentally-strong guys and help the guys that we think are really good honest professionals and try and get us to where we want to go.”

Rovers ended last season’s League One campaign with two wins and a draw from their final three home games.

And they will hope that positive trend continues tomorrow, following an opening day loss at Accrington Stanley and EFL Cup exit at the hands of Nottingham Forest.

“We’d obviously have liked to have got points on the board in the first league game and we also felt we could’ve nicked the game on Tuesday, certainly given the second half performance,” said Strachan.

“So there’s a bit of frustration among the players but we see a lot of positives. It’s just about turning those positives into points now on Saturday.”